Vending-machine.



M. ELZAS.

VENDING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED snr'r. 29, 1911.

Patented June 11, 191.2.

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M. ELZAS.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, 1911.

Patented June 11, 1912.

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VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, 1911.

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imiinn sra rns PATENT orrion.

MARTIN ELZAS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO LIBERTY VENDINGQO OF 'NEW YORK, N. 'Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. i

. VENDING-MACHINE.

Specification of letters Patent.

PatentedJune1L1912.

Original application filed April 22, 1911, SerialNo. 622,663. Divided andthis application filed September 29, 1911. Serial No. 651,960.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, MARTIN ELZAS, a s ub ject of the King of Great Britain, residing at New York, in the county of New York- The present application isa divisional application of my allowed application for vending machine, Serial No. 622,663, April 22, 1911.

This invention relates to vending machines and has particular reference to such machine for dispensing relatively small articles.

An important object of this invention is to provide a machine of the above men tioned character, which is so constructed that in case a person inserts a coin into the machine after the same has become empty or contains no articles to be vended, such coin will return to the operator.

The invention further aims to provide a vending machine of simple structure and compact arrangement of elements, so that the machine as a whole may be manufactured in a suitable size to be attached to a theater chair or in other places Where space is needed.

A further object of my invention is to provide a vending machine so constructed that the same may not be easily tampered with or fraudulently operated to remove the goods.

Other objects and advantages of this in-" vention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, Figure 1 is an inner side view of the casing of the machine, showing the operating lever and associated members in elevation and the swinging door removed, Fig. 2 is a similar view'of the swinging door, certain elements carried thereby being shown in elevation and others partly in section, Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken through the junction of the swinging door and casing and looking inwardly, Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on line H of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of thearrows, Fig.

machine has taken in.

5 is a similar View taken on line .5-5 of Fig. 3, and looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 6 is a plan view 'of the machine,

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 77 of Fig. 3, F igfS is a similar View taken on line 88 of Fig. 3, Fig. 9 is a similar View taken on line 9 9 of'Fig. 3, Fig. 10 is a similar view'ta'kenon' line 101O of Fig. 3, Fig. 11 is a similar View taken on line 11-11 of F ig; 3, Fig. :12 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 1212 of Fig. 6, Fig. 13 is a fragmentary view of the lower end of the machine, and, Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a swinging lever.

In the drawings wherein is illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 designates a preferably rectangular casing, formed of suitable material and having one side thereof open, .for the reception of a downwardly swinging door 2. The lower end of this door is pivot-ally connected with the lower end of the casing 1 through the medium of interfitting knuckles 3, having openings formed therethrough for the reception 'of a pintle 4. A disadvantage encountered in connection with a great many types of vending machines is that it takes too long to fill the same with the articles to be vended and to remove the coins which the To overcome this disadvantage, I have mounted the means for holding the articles and the coin upon the inner side of thedownwardly swinging'door, which door may be readily moved to a position whereby the articles may be easily and quickly replenished and the coins removedin a like manner. As clearly shown in Fig. 2, the door 2 is provided upon its inner face with a rectangular inwardly extending flange 5 forming a magazine for the reception of articles '6 to be vended. These articles are arranged to'form a vertical stack, so that the lowermost article may be discharged through an opening 7 formed through the door 2. The passage of the article through the opening 7 is controlled by a vertically movable'door 8, which is guided during movement. by pins 9 which are fast upon the door 2 and operate in elongated slots formed through the door 8. The door 8 is raised by a swinging lever 10 (see particularly Fig. 14), which is provided at one end with an elongated slot 11 for the reception of a pin 12 that is rigidly connected with the door 8 midway the ends thereof. This swinging lever 10 is pivoted to the door 2, as shown at 13, and has one end thereof bent at substantially right angles to form a transverse portion 14. The means to operate the lever 10 will be described hereinafter. Mounted upon the door 2 are coin returning and collecting chutes 15 and 16, respectively, which may preferably be cast integral with the door, although the same could be separately made and attached to the door. The chutes 15 and 16 are spaced to provide an opening within which the portion 14 of the lever 10 extends. The door 2 is provided at its lower end with an opening 17 haying communication with the return coin chute 15, to deliver the coin upon a curved tray 18, formed upon the outer face of the door 2, as clearly shown in Fig. 13. The article 6 passing through the opening 7 is delivered upon a flat tray 19, formed upon the outer face of the door 2 and disposed adjacent the curved tray 18. The lower end of the coin collecting chute 16 is formed closed, as shown.

The numeral 20 designates a thin horizontal bar disposed in the rear portion of the casing 1, and having an opening 21 formed therein for receiving the reduced end of a removable spring rod 22. The spring rod 22 has the upper end thereof correspondingly reduced to fit within an opening formed in the horizontal portion of the flange 5. The function of this spring rod is to prevent the articles 6 from coming out of the article magazine. Any suitable means (not shown) may be employed to lock the door 2 in its closed position.

The numeral 23 designates an upstanding operating lever, pivoted intermediate its ends with a stationary bracket 24, which is fast upon the casing 1. The lever 23 is disposed in alinement with the space formed between the chutes 15 and 16 and is normally partly within such space. The lever 23 is bent at right angles at its lower end to form a horizontal delivery arm 24, adapted to be moved into engagement with the article 6 for discharging the same from the machine. The return coin chute 15 has its inner face at the lower end thereof properly constructed to allow suflicient movement of the delivery arm 24. This movement is not very great as the article is only discharged upon the tray 19 sufficiently so that the operator may catch hold of it and draw the sameentirely out of the machine. The operating lever 23 is provided near its lower end with a laterally extending lug 25, having its lower side beveled and disposed to engage the portion 14 of the lever 10, as

clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. The lever 23 is held in its normal position, by aleafspring 27, which is suitably mounted upon' the casing 1. Check controlled means are plate 31, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 7 and i 12. The plate 31 is provided with an opening 32 for the reception of the coin and the construction of the difierent parts is such that the openings 28 and 32 are normally registrable. A compressible coil spring 33 tends to hold the plate 31 in its normal starting position. The rod 30 has the lower end thereof in the form of a reduced cylindrical portion 34, which is disposed for operation in a slot 35 formed through a reciprocatory operating plate 36. The slot 35 is formed shorter than the slot 29, for a purpose to be described. The operating plate 36 is provided with a substantially semi-cylindrical cut-out portion 37 at one end thereof, which is adapted for the reception of a coin. The free end of the plate 36 is cut away, as shown in Fig. 7, so that the upper end of the operating lever 23. may engage the coin positioned in the opening 37, whereby the lever 23 will ride upon the coin and the upper end thereof oscillated rearwardly to move the lower end thereof forwardly, when the plate 36 is moved to the right. The plate 36 is disposed under the plate 31 and has slidable engagement therewith and a relatively stationary plate 38 is placed below the plate 36. The plate 36 is capable of sliding upon the plate 38. Disposed at one end of the plate 38 is a swinging trap door 39, which when in its normal position forms in eflect, a continuation of the plate 38. The trap door 39 is pivoted at its rear end by means of a pin 40 operating within a stationary lug 41 and the plate 38. The trap door 39 engages the lower face of the plate 36 and is normally held in such position by a leaf-spring 42. The trap door '39 is positioned above the return coinchute 15, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3.

Disposed upon and supported by the articles 6 is a weight 43, having at one end an extension or tongue 44, adapted to travel in proximity to a rod 45, as is more clearly shown in Fig. 10. The upper end of the rod 45 has pivotal connection with the trap door 39, as shown at 46 and the lower end of the rod 45 is bent laterally and horizontally, as shown at 47 in Fig. 4, to be disposed in the path of travel of the extension 44. The rod 45 operates through a guide bracket 48.

openings 32 and 37 into registration. The coin then drops into the opening 37, and the portion 34 of the pin 30 having reached the end wall of the slot 35, further movement of the rod 30 will cause plates 31 and 36 to move together. When the plate 36 is thus moved toward the operating lever 23, said lever will ride upon the periphery of the coin and hence be oscillated to move the lower end of the lever forwardly for discharging thearticles. Further movement of the plate 36 in the same direct-ion will carry the coin over the trap door 39 and drop the same into the coin collecting chute 16. Upon the above referred to movement of the lever 23, the lug 26 engages the portion 14 of the lever 10, to oscillatesaid lever for raising the door 8, to uncover the opening 7, subsequently to which the delivery arm 24 engages the lowermost article and discharges the same through said opening 7. As soon as the coin falls from within the opening 37, spring 27 returns the operating lever to its normal position. As soon as the article is entirely removed from the opening 7 the door 8 will at once gravitate to its closed position. A spring may be used to hasten the closing of the opening 7 by the door 8 if it is found necessary. The operator then returns the rod 30 to its normal starting position and the different elements of the coin controlled means are returned to their normal starting position. As soon as the last article has been vended, the tongue 44 will engage the end portion 47 of the rod 45, whereby the trap door 39 will be brought to a tilted position to deliver the coin into the return coin-chute 15. If a coin is now placed in the coin-controlled means and such means operated as above described, said coin will not reach the lever 23 to operate the same but on traveling across the now inclined or tilted trap door, said coin will fall out of the opening 37 and be conducted by said trap door into the chute 15. The coin will then move downwardly in this chute to be discharged into the tray 18, where it may be reclaimed by the operator. As soon as the weight 43 is elevated to replenish the articles, the spring 42 will automatically return the trap door to its normal position. When it is desired to replenish the articles 6 the door 2 may be swung to a substantially horizontal posit-ion, whereby this operation is rendered easy and simple. By swinging the door 2 a little below the horizontal the coins contained in the chute 16 will gravitate out of the same and hence may be easily collected.

I wish it understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that certain changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be re sorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a magazine to hold articles to be vended, of means for discharging the articles from the magazine, coin cont-rolled mechanism to operate said means, coin collecting and returning receptacles, a movable element disposed near the intake ends of the receptacles for controlling the passage of the coin into them, and automatic means to move said element including a weight supported by the articles whereby said movable element will be operated automatically by the weight to return the coin to the operator in the event that the machine is empty, such operation of said movable element being thus entirely out of control of the operator.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a magazine to hold articles to be vended, of means for discharging the articles from the magazine, coin controlled mechanism to operate said means, coin collecting and returning receptacles, a pivoted plate disposed near the intake ends of the receptacle for controlling the passage of the coininto the same from said coin controlled mechanism, a depending element connected with the pivoted plate, and a weight supported by the articles and provided with means engaging the depending element whereby the coin will be returned to the operator when the machine is empty.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a magazine for holding articles to be vended, of means for discharging the articles from the magazine, coin controlled mechanism including a manually operated element, to operate said means, a pivoted plate to normally receive the coin thereon, means cooperating with the pivoted plate, whereby said coin may be conducted to said coin controlled mechanism or returned to the operator, depending upon the position of the pivoted plate, means to normally oppose the move-.

ment of the pivoted plate, a weight disposed upon the articles to travel downwardly as said articles are discharged, and a rod attached to the plate and extending downwardly to have a portion thereof disposed in the path of travel of the weight, whereby the operation of the pivoted plate is automatic and beyond the control of the operator.

4. In a machine of the character de scribed, a movable element, a plate provided with an opening for receiving a coin and adapted to be moved so that the coin will engage said element to move the same, a plurality of receptacles disposed below said &

plate, a trap door disposed above one of the receptacles to normally prevent the coin from entering that receptacle, and means to move the trap door.

5. In a machine of the character described, a receptacle for holding articles to be vended, a weight disposed upon the articles, a plurality of receptacles adapted to receive coins, an operating lever to discharge the articles from the machine, a movable plate provided with an opening for receiving the coin and adapted to be moved sothat said coin may engage the lever to operate the same, a trap door disposed below said plate and across one of the last named receptacles to normally prevent the coin from falling in the receptacle and to conduct said coin into the farthermost receptacle, and means actuated by the weight to move the trap door.

In testimony whereof I my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARTIN ELZAS.

WVitnesses:

C. L. PARKER, JAMES L. CRAWFORD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

